The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-17


Mars Active and strong the haf-breed had
made his young master expert in all manly
exercises, and James Burbank could only con-
graduate himself at having found him for his
son.
Never had Zermah and Mars been so happy
and that after leaving the hands of Tickborn
and nearly falling into those of Texar. They
were never to forget it.
CHAPTER ".
BLACK CREEK.
At dawn, the morning after the Shannon
journey down the st. Johns, a man was waking
the bank of one Of the islets the bottom of
the lagoon of Black Creek It was Texar. A
few steps away was an Indian sitting in the
skiff which had met the stsamer. It was
Sousmbo.
After walking up and down for a minute or
two, Texar stopped under a magnolia tree, drew
down ons of the lower branches and picked off
leaf and it's stem. Then he drew from his note
book short letter, containing only three or four
words written in ink. He rolled up the letter
leaf. This was done so cleverly that the leaf
lost nothing of its usual look
.'Squambo?" said Texar.
master! !" replied the Indian.
.iGo-you know wherep
Squambo took the leaf. put it in the bow of
the skif, sat down in the stern. padded himself
off, turned the extreme point OF the is!et. and
entered the tortuous passage under the thick
bower of trees.
The lagoon is cut up into labyrinth of chan
neis, among which only man thoroughiy con-
versant with the tangled network of black waters
could find his way.
However Squambo did not hesitate. Where
no one could see an outlet he boldly entered with
his sklff The low branches that he lifted up
fell behind him, and left trace of anything
having passed beneath them. Along winding
channels no larger than drains. he padded his
at his approach. Shiny cells, with suspicious
heads, slipped under the roots which emerged
from the water. Squambo cared for none Ct
these things. no more than he did for the Sleep
ing caymans, which he could wake by striking
them they lay on their beds of mud. He kept
room to naddle' he nnsbed himself along "a If
with boat-hook.
Although it was now broad daylight and the
heavy night mist had began to evaporate under
the first rays of the sun. nothing could be seen
of it under this impenetrable roof of verdure.
Even in the MONDAY ray of light could
pierce it. All was shrouded in semi-obscurity,
which suited we'll the crawling creatures that
swarmed in its black water, and the thousands
Of aquatic plants that foated on their surface.
For half an hour Squambo advanced from one
island to another. When he stopped it was be-
cause his skiff had reached one of the last
branches of the creek.
At this spot, where the marshy part Of the
creek ended, the trees less crowded and in
tergrown. and the light of day found admittance.
Beyond was vast prairie bordered with forest,
but slightly above the level of ST Johns. The
foot IN treadina the marshy ground, gave
the same sensation as if treading on an elastic
mattress. A few sassafras bushes with slender
leaves and violet berries dotted the surface with
their capricious zgzags.
After moorng his canoe to one of the twigs
on the bank. Squambo jumped ashore. The
night mist was drying of, the prairie, quite de-
serted. was gradually rising from the fog.
Among group of five six trees close by was
magnolia of moderate height
The Indian stepped towards this tree. He
reached it in few minutes, and drew down one
of the lower branches. To its end he fixed the
leaf that Texar had given him, then the bough
left to itself, sprung up and the leaf lost in
foliage.
Squambo returned to his skih. and then padded
back to the islet where his master awaited him.
Black Creek is SO called from the color OF its
waters and covers area of about six hundrean
acres. Fed by the St. Johns, it is e sort OF
archipelago quite impenetrable to those who do
not know its 4afinite windings A hundred
islands dots its surface; bridges or causeways
join them. few high branches interlace above
the thousands of channels that separate but do
not form easy communication lines between the
different points of the lagoon.
One of these islands, nearly in the center OF
the system, Is the most important, on account of
its size-some twenty acres-and its elevation,
five six feet above the mean tide of st. johns.
At some distant period this island had served
es the site OF fortress. sort of block-house,
now abandoned-at least, in a military sense.
Its palisades, half ruined by rot still stood be-
meath the large trees--magnolias, Expresses,
oaks, black walnuts and austral pines-inter-
laced by festoons of cob9as and other endless
creepers.
Beyond the outer ring the eye could make out
under the heap of verdure the geometrical |
lines of the little fortress, rather the outpost
which had never been intended to hold more |
than score of men. Narrow 1oopholes peeped
out OF the wooden walls. Turfed roofs covered
few rooms arranged round central apartment,
containing store of provisions and munitions.
To enter the fortress it necessary to get |
through the palisades at the narrow postern, |
then 20 cross the yard, planted with few trees,
and mount few steps built up of boards. These |
led to the only door giving admittance to the in
terror, and was merely embrasure that had |
been altered to suit the purpose.
Such was the usual retreat of Texar-a retreat |
which nobody knew. There, hidden from all |
ewes he lived with this Squambo, who was de- |
voted to a master of whom he did not think much |
and with five or six slaves who thought even less |
of him.
some distance from the wealthy establishments |
on each side of the river There was barely a /
living on it for Texar and his companions, whose |
wants were not great A few domestic animals |
half a dozen acres planted with potatoes, yams, |
twenty fruit trees. almost in their
wild state-that was all, without counting what !
or the fisherman in the lagoon. which never I
failed to yield its harvest. But doubtless, the
jewellers at Black Creek had other resources, of |
which only Texar and Souambc knew the Sc
cret
The safety of the blockhouse almost as
sured by its situation in such inaccessible
spot. Besides, who would seek to attack it, and
why? In any case, any suspicious approach
would be signaled at once by the dogs OF the is
land, two OF those ferocious bloodhounds i'm
ported from the Carribbees, formerly employed
by the Spaniards to hunt down the negroes.
Such was Texar's dwelling, and it worthy
Of him Now for himself.
Texar then about thirty-five lie was of
medium height, and vigorous constitution. hard
sned by the adventurous life in the open air
which had always heen his. Spaniard by
birth. he did not hide his origin His hair was
black and coarse. his eyebrows thick, his eyes
zreenish his mouth large. with thin indrawn
lips. if it had been made by a sabre stroke.
MS nose short. and his nostrils like those of
Wild beast His whole physiognemy denoted
,raft and violence. He had formerly grown his
ull beard; but for the last two years after it |
had been half-b burnt la some affair that
Knew anything about, he had shaved it off. and
he cruelty of his features were rendered all the
more apparent.
Twelve years before, this adventurer had
some to settle in Florida in this abandoned
,lockhouse. tae possession Of which nobody
thought Of disputing. Whence came he2 No
body knew. What had been his former lfe7 It
vas said. and rightly SO, that he had been